Tuesday April 4 - Chest, Biceps, and Forearms

Well, I got started one day later than I intended to. For some reason I couldn't sleep Sunday night, so when Monday morning rolled around I had no energy to get out of bed. Its probably because I slept so much on Sunday to catch up from the Daylight Savings switch. Anyway, enough about that.

Today I had a great workout to start things off. I read an article yesterday that gave me a different perspective on how to do my reps and what the focus should be. It was an article by Tom Venuto titled "Form: The Difference Between Bodybuilding & Weight Lifting" (you can read the article if you go to www.bodybuildingsecrets.com and sign up for his updates - its in the articles section). This article talked about how if you're really looking to gain muscle size you have to train differently than someone who is just going for strength. A good example is the difference in training for a professional bodybuilder and a powerlifter. Instead of focusing on the actual weight you are lifting you should focus on the muscle that you are working by keeping your mind on the contraction, stretch, and overall tension of the muscle. So leave your ego at the door, drop the weight so you can focus on your form and speed instead of just trying to impress people with the weight you're lifting.

I applied some of his ideas to this workout and I have to admit, I felt a really good pump after my first 2 sets in the chest part of my workout! In the past I've gone through a whole workout and didn't really feel any pump at all (wasted my time basically), but this workout was different. (You can also find out more about Tom Venuto by going to his websites burnthefat.com, amazingabdominals.com, fitren.com, and bodybuildingsecrets.com. He writes articles for other websites from time to time also, but these are his main ones and he gives out tons of great information.)

Here's the workout that I followed today:
Hammer Strength Press Machine - 120lbs x 6 reps, 130lbs x 6 reps, 140lbs x 6 reps
Dumbbell Flyes (flat bench) - 30lbs x 12 reps, 30lbs x 12 reps
Incline Barbell Press - 105lbs x 6 reps, 105lbs x 6 reps, 105lbs x 6 reps
Preacher Dumbbell Curls (one arm at a time) - 25lbs x 6 reps, 25lbs x 6 reps, 30lbs x 6 reps
Standing Barbell (EZ Bar) Curls - 65lbs x 6 reps, 65lbs x 6 reps, 65lbs x 6 reps
Standing Forearm Barbell Curls Superset (front and back curls) - 50lbs x 15 reps, 50lbs x 15 reps.

Total workout took about 40 minutes. Felt great afterwards, like I really had a good workout instead of just went to the gym to throw some weights around. As I find other articles like this one that really impact how I train, I'll be sure to throw on the link or at least explain where to find it.